In Chippewa, ozi’sigo’bimle, willow is an edible, medicinal and heavily utilized plant. Its powerful component salicin was synthesized to make the well known OTC medicine Aspirin. “Sal lis” means “near water”. And our many Haliburton waters are surrounded by salix! The marshes I visit for birding and herping are filled with a wide variety of […]
Tag Archives: Attracts Bees and Butterflies
Yarrow – Achillea Millefolium: The “Wounderful” Woundwort of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Chippewa, a’djidamo’wano meaning ajidamoo (squirrel or red squirrel) and wano (tail), yarrow is a “wounderful” edible and medicinal herb. A yarrow salve for healing cuts and scrapes was my first ever herbal medicine maker’s recipe! Yarrow is another European import. It’s most descriptive folk name is woundwort. It’s not the only “woundwort”, so cheers […]
Common Milkweed – Asclepias Syriaca: The Monarch of the Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Chippewa, ini’niwunj meaning “man like”, common milkweed is a monarch of the edible and medicinal wild plant kingdom. Let’s cultivate this king of herbs for the butterflies more than we eat it, please! Milkweeds folk names are somewhat all over the place, as there are tons of varieties, and many probably don’t refer mainly […]
Red Clover – Trifolium Pratense: The Honey of Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Ojibwe, nisoobag+oon ezhi-wadong+in, red clover is honeylicious and this edible and medicinal plant is not just for the bees! My favorite folk name for red clover is honey/honey-stalks, but it isn’t just honey bees that like this honey. Mammals like the opossum, snowshoe hare, eastern chipmunk, raccoon, striped skunk, and white-tailed deer are buzzing […]
Common Dandelion – Taraxacum Officinale: The Popular Gateway Herb to Foraging Edible & Medicinal Wild Plants
In Chippewa, dado’cabodji’bik meaning dadocabo (liquid or milk) odjibik (root), common dandelion is a popular edible and medicinal herb. Dandelion is easily identifiable and is often the gateway plant to exploring foraging and herbal medicine. Dandelion’s folk names include but are not limited to blowball, lion’s tooth (leaf appearance), priest’s crown, milk witch, and wild […]